UW McNair Scholars to Present Research at A&S Convocation Oct. 27

October 11, 2017

University of Wyoming McNair student scholars will present their summer research during the Keith and Thyra Thomson Honors Convocation Friday, Oct. 27, at 4 p.m. in the UW College of Arts and Sciences auditorium.

UW undergraduates Alex Greenwald, of Lander, and Jone’t Jennings, of Denver, Colo., received nominations from the UW McNair Scholars Program and were invited to give presentations at the convocation.

Greenwald, a senior majoring in geography and environmental systems science, will present “An Investigation into the Presence: Light Absorbing Particles in the Snowy Range.” The study initially began while he was a student at Central Wyoming College (CWC) in Riverton. Greenwald worked on the project with Jackie Klancher, a CWC instructor. Greenwald continued to work on his project at UW with his faculty mentor, botany Professor Dave Williams.

Jennings, a senior majoring in political science and international studies, will present “Community Partnerships: Addressing Counterterrorism in Denver and the Front Range.” As part of Jennings’ research study, she conducted interviews and observed individuals who work for domestic terrorism department agencies. She worked on the project with UW mentor Jean Garrison, professor and director of the Center for Global Studies.

Also, four UW McNair Scholars Program students will present posters in the College of Arts and Sciences lobby before and after the convocation. They are Tara Brunner, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Clay Carper, Riverton; Taylor Orton, Lyman; and Alexandra Monique Weaver, Evanston.

The McNair Scholars Program is a federal TRIO program funded at 194 institutions across the United States and Puerto Rico by the U.S. Department of Education. The program prepares undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

The program's goal is to increase graduate degree awards for students from underrepresented groups. The UW program is a project of Student Educational Opportunity, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs at UW.